Conservation of momentum of two cars

[Stipe]

For my physics assignment i have a question on conservation of momentum that i am completely unsure of and have heard mixed answers to from teachers and fellow students. Here is the question and can ai have nice detailed answers please. Thanks in advance.

Section A - conservation of momentum

In a real life collision between your two chosen cars ( Honda civic and Toyota Camry (sp?) ) on a bitumen road on a dry day, is it reasonable to assume that the total energy and momentum of the cards is conserved? Explain your answer.

 

[xez]

In the title you address this as an issue of
"Conservation of momentum"
whereas in the bold face at the bottom you say:
"is it reasonable to assume that the total energy and momentum of the cards is conserved?"

...conserving momentum only is very different than
conserving (energy and momentum in combination).

Obviously momentum can convert to other kinds of
energy than kinetic energy e.g. thermal, stress, ...

Clearly you don't see elastic collisions between
cars other than bumper cars... and as for inelastic collisions,
well, usually on the highway I see more CRUNCH than
BOING/BOUNCE...

And how does an air-bag work again?...

So think of all the kinds of resultant MOMENTUM, but
then think of all the energy dissipated in other ways,
the conversion of kinetic energy to other kinds, etc...

What do you think?

 

[m2003]

Yes, it is reasonable to assume that the total energy and momentum of the two cars would be conserved in a real life collision. This is because of the law of conservation of momentum, which states that in a closed system (such as a collision between two cars), the total momentum before the collision must be equal to the total momentum after the collision. This means that the sum of the momentums of the two cars before the collision must be equal to the sum of their momentums after the collision.

In the case of a collision between two cars, the total momentum before the collision would be the sum of the momentums of the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry. This momentum would be determined by the mass and velocity of each car. When the cars collide, they exert equal and opposite forces on each other, resulting in a transfer of momentum between them. However, the total momentum of the system remains the same.

Additionally, the law of conservation of energy also applies in this situation. While some energy may be lost due to factors such as friction and sound, the total energy of the system would still be conserved. This is because energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transferred from one form to another.

Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the total energy and momentum of the two cars would be conserved in a real life collision between a Honda Civic and Toyota Camry on a bitumen road on a dry day. This is supported by the laws of physics and is a fundamental principle that applies to all types of collisions, including those between cars.